Found Items Friday: Personal Library Edition

Today's Found Items are not particularly related to anything one can find in a treasure trove. However, I consider them to be pretty precious. And, I suppose, there are a considerable number of idea germs to be found therein.

Books.

Used books.

I love me a good used book store. The smell of old paper, ink, with just a hint of mustiness? That's the sign that some well-loved books are hidden among the dross.

Just across from the courthouse here in town is a cheesy little used book shop. He's got a great selection of used sci-fi and fantasy, as well as some great used and out-of-print religion titles. He has vintage and collectible toys and knick-knacks scattered throughout the store. The lighting is horrible. Fully one-third of the shop is "closed off" in a room with swinging saloon doors. This is where the owner keeps the "used pornography."

No joke. It's a little....skeevy.

The place also reeks of cigarette smoke. Most of the books I get here have to be fumigated so as to be readable. But like I said, he's got a great selection of sci-fi and fantasy.

Here's what I found this morning.The two "Planet of the Apes" titles at the bottom of the photo were an afterthought; I saw them on the way out of the store and thought, "Why not?"

The others.... Those are the prizes. At the top of the picture are a run of Edgar Rice Burroughs "Barsoom" novels, shown here: From what I can tell, I'm only missing a couple of the later ones. Shown are Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. Volumes 7, 9, 10, and 11 were nowhere to be found. (I have the proprietor on the watch for these, however.) Of course, only volumes 4 and 8 match. Two of them were rescued from the library at the local Veteran's Administration. My particular favorite, however, is the hardcover edition of "The Gods of Mars." This edition was published in Sept. 1918 by A.C. McClurg. It's everything that a book this old should be and in great condition. The paperback editions, unfortunately, show a little mildew damage on the bottom of the pages, and are in--on average--rough condition. But they were only $1.00 each. I have never actually read any of these novels; I look forward to the weekend and being able to curl up with these with a cold drink at my side.

And these? A complete run of Fritz Leiber's "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" series. Also included is a copy of the collection "The Second Book of Fritz Leiber" which runs the gamut from a Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story to science fiction.

For those who don't know, the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories originated in 1939 and are considered to be some of the first sword and sorcery stories and were influential in shaping the genre. They're also a pretty good read; I've read the first four on previous occasions. These were all about $2.50 each, except for one--"Swords Against Wizardry," which was, inexplicably, $4.50.

These ought to keep me busy for a week or so. And they'll look great next to my dad's full run of "Tarzan" novels that he donated to my personal library a year ago.